


The Next Step

by LyriaFrost



Category: Star Wars
Genre: Gen, Mind Rape, violence/abuse of a Padawan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-20
Updated: 2013-11-20
Packaged: 2018-01-02 04:10:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1052362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaFrost/pseuds/LyriaFrost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Padawan desperately wishes for his long-lost hero to save him from his abusive Master.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

The Jedi Temple is a mysterious place. The twisting halls are full of secret rooms and passageways that have been long since forgotten my most. One of these rooms is a small garden. A waterfall trickles down into a lake that is the perfect size for swimming. Tall trees grow all around with trailing vines that dangle from the branches. The ground is covered in a thick carpet of verdant green moss and brightly colored flowers add splashes of joyful hues to the room.

The walls once echoed with the sound of laughter but now only one remembers to visit now. He comes at least once a week to sit by the lake and remember happier times. It was here that he felt closest to the two who had shared this special place with him and were now gone. One was missing, presumed dead, and the other had moved on to the next step of his life.

That was exactly what the lone being was thinking about, the next step. He would be thirteen in a few short weeks and so he had to have a master soon. He had held out hope for three years that the one he wanted would return from the dead by some miracle but he could no longer afford to wait. He had to let go of his past and move on.

One Master had offered to take him as a Padawan and he was going to have to accept though his heart still longed for the one who was gone. When he left this room his life would be changed, for better or worse he could not say. But for now he could just enjoy the peace, solitude, and memories this forgotten garden offered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "talking"  
> * talking through a bond *

Two lightsabers clashed in a flash of yellow and teal light then pulled back. Again and again they came together and separated in an intricate dance. The wielders of these deadly weapons were as different as the colors of their blades. The elder was a large, hulking creature. He appeared to be human except for his scaly skin, yellow hair-like tentacles, and cat-like eyes. His fighting style was based heavily on his impressive strength. The other was much younger and smaller but was able to use it to his advantage. He chose speed and agility over strength as his approach to fighting. He had pale skin that looked nearly white and translucent to others. His long silver hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, though a few strands escaped to from his silver eyes.

The deadly dance continues as the opponents dodged, ducked, parried, and thrusted. But all it took was a misstep; a slight miscalculation in where the next blow would come from. The teal lightsaber flickered out as its holder dropped it with a cry of pain. He side flared with heat from where the yellow blade had caught him unaware and left a large burn. The other watched impassively for a moment before powering down his saber.

"Well Lyrin, do you know why you received that wound?" Lyrin could feel the disappointment radiating from the older man.

"I was distracted Master, and failed to keep track of my opponent's every move."

"You performed badly and have disgraced me and the training I have worked hard to give you."

"I am sorry Master Kiseki." Kiseki leaned close for a moment.

"You will be far sorrier when I am through with you." He leaned back and continued to speak. "Now return to our apartments and meditate until I get there." Lyrin struggled to control himself as he knew that any show of emotion would only make his punishment ten times worse.

"Yes Master." He rose, picking up his fallen lightsaber before heading to the changing room to retrieve his discarded tunic and robes. He made his way back to the quarters he shared with his master. Lyrin debated putting some bacta on his stinging side but knew that that would only serve to further enrage his master. So he just sat down and meditated like he had been told to do. That night was just like nearly every night had been for the last three years. It was very rare for his master not to find some reason to take his anger out on the boy. And so when Kiseki returned to their rooms, Lyrin had prepared himself. He distanced himself from his body and managed to block out some of his pain. But by the end he was still trembling, flinching, and just barely suppressing his cries of pain.

When Kiseki was done he gave Lyrin a disapproving look, straightened his robes, and left the rooms. Lyrin remained where he was kneeling for a few minuets, trying to bring himself under control. Finally he rose, heading back to his room to pull out his secret supply of bacta and bandages. But he stopped when he caught a glimpse of himself in the full-length mirror that hung on the wall. He barely recognized himself anymore. He had once been a happy, healthy boy with a sparkle in his eye that came from being loved. There was nothing left of that boy in him now. His eyes were dead; he never smiled or laughed. Through the tattered remains of his tunic, Lyrin could see the welts on his arms from the belts and whips and he knew that his back looked much the same with layer upon layer of healing and scarring welts.

In that moment Lyrin finally understood just what the last three years had taken from him and he could not take the pain anymore. Three years ago he had still been happy and carefree, enjoying his days with Taurelen, the only Master who knew him well enough to serve as his anchor, and Obi-Wan, the only child who had tried to befriend him. But then Taurelen had disappeared on a mission and Obi-Wan had been taken as Padawan to the great Qui-Gon Jinn, who was never at the Temple. As Lyrin tore his eyes from the mirror, his gaze traveled the rest of the room and he was assaulted by images of pain and torture and he had to leave. He ran, leaving the rooms and letting his feet go where they would. It was not until they stopped by a lake that Lyrin realized just where he was. Their Special Garden. Even now, the memories and feelings of happier times lingered in the air. Lyrin collapsed by the lake and began to cry, for all the pain and horror and lost innocence of the last three years. He was so caught up that he did not notice another figure enter the room. This figure paused for a moment, surprised to see someone else there before running forward as recognition struck. Lyrin did not notice as the figure dropped to its knees beside him but he did feel the hand on his should and hear the softly spoken words that followed.

"Lyr?..." That name just made him cry even more. Only one person had ever called him by that name and that person was long dead. He knew he must be hallucinating but it just felt so real. He thought it would go away but the hand was still putting pressure on his shoulder and the voice was still calling him, sounding more and more urgent and worried. Finally Lyrin could take no more. He looked up, thinking nothing would be there. But instead he was met with a pair of eyes tinted purple. The person who had those eyes also had the purple tinted skin and hair so deep purple it looked black. Only one person Lyrin knew had these distinctive features but that person was gone, though Lyrin had never accepted it in his heart.

"Master Taurelen?" The person smiled.

"Ah, little Lyr, I've missed you so much." And the small piece of hope that Lyrin had clung to during all those dark years now burst forth in full force, filling Lyrin with light and allowing him to believe in what was sitting right in from of him. With tears still streaming down his face, he fell forward into open arms, crying on the broad chest where he had cried so many times when he was younger. Taurelen also had tears in his eyes as he wrapped his arms tightly around the trembling boy and buried his face in the soft silvery hair. They both sat there long after the tears had stopped, loathe to break the moment and begin a much-needed, but very painful discussion. But as Taurelen went to readjust their positions, he accidentally rubbed one of Lyrin's new welts and Lyrin hissed at the sudden pain. Taurelen leaned away, holding the boy at arms length in order to better scrutinize him. "Lyrin, what are all these welts from?" Lyrin looked down.

"They're just training accidents."

"No, they aren't. First of all, there's far too many, second none of them are well treated, and finally, marks like these should never be left by a training saber. So what are they really from?" Lyrin still refused to meet his gaze or speak a word. "Please, Lyrin, you know that we can tell each other everything. What are you keeping a secret and lying to me?" His pleas were only met with silence. Finally Taurelen sighed. "Stay here, I will be back shortly." Now Lyrin spoke up.

"Where are you going?"

"To get medical supplies to take care of your wounds." Lyrin stayed by the pool, staring into the calm waters and contemplating the question in front of him until Taurelen returned with a sack of supplies. As the Master settled back down and began to unpack the sack, Lyrin spoke up.

"They came from my master." Taurelen looked up, shocked.

"What?"

"All the bruises and cuts and welts and burns. They came from my master." Lyrin looked up.

"Who is your master?"

"Master Kiseki." Taurelen's eyes hardened and his voice became steely.

"No master, nobody at all, should treat a child like that."

"He says I deserve it because I am a horrible learner and I'll never be a good Jedi if he can't get me to learn what I need to! Maybe he's right…" Taurelen grabbed his shoulders, forcing the boy to meet his eyes.

"No, Lyrin, don't ever think that. You are a smart amazing boy who is always eager to learn more. This is not a problem with you, it is a problem with him." Taurelen sighed as he began to pull the tattered tunic off the Padawan to get a better look at the welts. He pulled a cloth out of the bag, wetting it in the lake and washing away the blood. Neither talked as Taurelen continued his work. Finally as he tied the last bandage, Lyrin spoke

"So, what happens now?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to stay with Master Kiseki, I want to be with you."

"I know, little one, and I will do my best to help you. But as much as it hurts me I cannot help you just yet. First I have to find the Jedi who turned against the Order."

"A Jedi has turned?"

"Someone betrayed me on that planet and only a select few knew where I was. I met this Jedi once, as he came to gloat before my cell. Unfortunately he was very good at disguising his figure, face, and voice. But I can feel the Force leading me to him so I know he's here somewhere. So for now I need to remain hidden, shielded from everyone so that no one knows I am here."

"But what about me? You have to shield from me as well?"

"No, I can form a link between us but I will have to shield it so that your Master does not sense it. However that will take more time and strength then you have right now. You should probably get back before your Master does. I will see you again soon." Lyrin rose to leave but paused.

"How will I find you again?"

"Don't worry. I'll find you." Lyrin hurried back, pulling on a clean tunic over the bandages to hide them. By this time he was exhausted, the physical and mental stresses of the day taking their toll on him. His shields slipped a bit, allowing feelings and emotions from all over Coruscant to flood his mind. He struggled to bring the shields back into place, pushing against the deluge that threatened to drown him. When he finally succeeded, he found his master in front of him, disappointment written on his face. To Master Kiseki, the most important area of training was Lyrin's control of his empathetic gift.

That night, Lyrin went to bed sore and hungry, having missed supper. The next few weeks were much the same. Lyrin's control continued to slip as he thought more and more about the futures that were in front of him. This meant that he went to bed sore and hungry almost every night. But every day he met Taurelen in their special garden. The Master would clean and bandage all the new wounds and they would work on creating a bond that was hidden from Kiseki. Eventually this was done and it was a great comfort to Lyrin even as he struggled under the continued abuse.

This particular day had been like any other. But that night, as Lyrin changed into his nightclothes, Kiseki came into his room unannounced. He saw the cleaned and bandaged wounds on his back and he knew that Lyrin would never have been able to do that on his own. Lyrin whirled around when he heard the door open and he saw the murderous expression on his Master's face.

"Who has been helping you?" Lyrin knew that he could not expose Taurelen and anyone else he named to cover would receive his Master's wrath and so he took the blame on himself.

"No one, Master!"

"Liar! You could not tend to the wounds on your back alone. Now tell me who it was." But Lyrin refused to say anything else. That beating was far worse than any he had received before. Kiseki did not seem to care whether the marks could be covered up and Lyrin could feel bones in his body snapping under the brutality of the assault. Finally Lyrin lay broken and bloody on the floor but he still had not breathed a word of who had helped him. Kiseki knelt down by his head, pacing his hands on either side of Lyrin's face. "Very well then, I shall have to find out a different way."

Lyrin could feel his Master's presence growing in his mind and then excruciating mental pain as his shields were battered and broken. He screamed and begged but there was no way to escape from the force that was invading his innermost thoughts. He could feel his Master searching for the identity of his mysterious helper but he had no care for what else he did while within his Padawan's mind. Across the Temple, Taurelen could feel everything that was happening to Lyrin through their bond and he knew that it was time to reveal himself. Kiseki finally found what he was looking for and pulled out of the teen's mind, leaving both pale and shaking. "So Taurelen somehow lived."

"Yes Kiseki, I lived through everything you tried to kill me with and I came to save the rest of the Jedi from you. But I never dreamed that I would have to save my little Lyr from you. You time is up now and you will be brought to justice." Kiseki laughed.

"You bring me to justice? When I kill you I will tell the rest of the Jedi that you were corrupted by the Sith and returned to recruit my Padawan. Unfortunately, you were forced to kill him because he would not turn." Taurelen's eyes grew cold and hard.

"You will pay for all the pain you have caused to so many, especially the boy you call your Padawan." With that, the battle commenced. Lyrin could do nothing but watch as the man he loved the most and the man he feared the most engaged in fatal combat. It seemed like neither Jedi would ever gain the upper hand. The lightsabers clashed again and again, yellow against orange, never coming near the opponent's body.

But in one strange twist, Kiseki drove the lightsaber out of Taurelen's hand and knocked the Master to the ground. As the final blow began to fall, Lyrin gathered all of the energy in the room. With a pained cry, he released it all, sending a shockwave into the room that knocked Kiseki back into the wall. This gave Taurelen enough time to recall his lightsaber and deal a stunning blow that left the other Master slumped against the wall, unconscious. Taurelen stood, panting, for a moment before powering down his blade and turning to Lyrin. The boy lay still on the ground; eyes closed against the fresh onslaught of pain that came with conducting that much raw energy and emotion. The Master cleared his mind as he hurried over to the limp form, knowing that his added turbulent emotions would not help.

With a clear mind, he gathered the boy up into his arms and hurried down to the hospital ward. The healers were shocked to see the quiet Padawan in such condition but when they went to pull him away from Taurelen to assess his injuries, he refused to go, clinging desperately to the Master's robes.  
"Shhhh its okay little one, we're in the Healer's Ward now and they need to check your injuries."

"Don't wanna go Master." Taurelen sighed.

"Oh little Lyr. It'll be okay. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be in the room with you the whole time." * You can feel me through our bond; you will always know that I am right next to you. * Lyrin seemed to think for a moment then relaxed.

* Okay. Just please don't leave me. *

* Never again. * This time when Taurelen handed Lyrin over, he went hesitatingly. The Master could tell that the boy did not want to go but he really needed to be checked out. They carried the boy into a private room and began to cut off his clothing in order to examine him better. Taurelen followed and sat at the head of the bed. He felt Lyrin begin to panic as the healers probed his many wounds so he began to talk to distract him. He talked about his memories of the old days and how often he had thought of Lyrin during his time away. He was still talking after the healers finished their examination. One waited politely until a pause, then interrupted.

"Master Taurelen? I am Master Healer Hinja. Can we talk in private for a moment?" Taurelen hesitated for a moment before nodding and looking back at Lyrin.

"I need to go talk to the healer for a moment little one. But we will leave the door open so that you will see that I do not leave. Is that okay with you?" Lyrin could feel the medications and painkillers beginning to kick in and he was too tired to do anything more than nod slowly. "I'll be right back, don't worry." Taurelen followed the healer out of he room, standing in the doorway. They murmured so that Lyrin would not hear them. "How is he doing?"

"Physically it looks very bad but I am completely confident that will make a full recovery. He may need some time in a bacta tank but I am going to splint and bandage his wounds until he is coherent and ready for the treatment. However, the emotional damage is an entirely different story." Hinja paused for a moment and sighed. "What Kiseki did to him was essentially a mind rape. He forced his will onto Lyrin and broke down all of the boy's shields to get at the information he was after." Taurelen had also felt the damage in Lyrin's mind but could not bring himself to believe that anyone could do such a thing to any child. He looked back into the room at Lyrin whose eyes reflected pain as Apprentice Healers set his bones and wrapped him in clean white bandages.

"What needs to be done for that?"

"Well I would like him to see a mind healer eventually. However I think that this also needs to wait until he's had some time to rest and recover."

"Very well then. I trust your judgment Master Healer."

"Of course we shall have to watch how his treatments progresses to see what needs to be done and when. However right now he needs you most of all because you are someone he trusts implicitly and feels safe and comfortable around and that is what he needs now to begin to heal. And as my apprentices are done, you can stay with him now."

"Thank you Hinja." Taurelen reentered the room as the healers left. Lyrin was extremely pale and tense, his eyes squeezed tightly shut. He opened them again as he felt Taurelen's presence draw nearer. A shimmer of tears made his eyes brighter, their color dulled to a flat slate gray by fear and pain.

"Master…" The quiet whisper spurred Taurelen forward and he pulled the boy into his arms. Wrapped up in the warm, safe, comforting embrace, Lyrin allowed his tears to fall thick and fast. Taurelen held him close as the gasping sobs quieted and evened into the soft breaths of an exhausted boy who finally succumbed to his body's needs. Taurelen repositioned himself until they were both lying down and as he commanded the lights to dim, he knew that they had a hard road in front of them. There were many painful memories to deal with and fears that needed to be addressed. But Taurelen vowed to himself that Lyrin would never have to be alone again. He would help him past each challenge as it arose and ensure that the little boy would still become the great and powerful Jedi Master that Taurelen knew he could be. Soon the dark room was filled by the quiet sounds of breathing. And when Hinja returned to check on Lyrin one last time he knew that everything would be okay with a little time and a lot of love.


End file.
